Hospital operating rooms typically include surgical equipment and one or more lights that are located over a surgical site. The surgical equipment may be movable in relation to a surgical site target zone.
Additionally, air supply arrangement may be positioned within a ceiling directly above the surgical light and the surgical site target zone. The air supply arrangement may include vents through which filtered air is supplied and directed toward the surgical site. Sidewall vents return contaminated air from the perimeter of the room to an air filtration system positioned upstream of the supply air array. The air filtration system supplies filtered air to the room through the supply air array with unidirectional, downward airflow.
Because the surgical equipment (e.g., surgical light) may be positioned directly over the surgical target zone, the surgical equipment may block airflow generated by the air supply arrangement and create a low pressure zone underneath the surgical equipment. The low pressure zone causes air turbulence underneath the surgical equipment. Due to turbulent airflow, various contaminants generated through a surgical procedure may be circulated within the surgical environment. For example, surgical staff may carry particulate and bacterial contaminants that may be dispersed directly above a surgical site in the absence of filtered, downward, unidirectional flow. Further, bone fragments, biological fluids, and blood may be projected upward toward the surgical equipment, which is cleaned and sterilized between surgical procedures.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method of providing uninterrupted, reduced turbulence airflow within a sterile field and underneath surgical equipment. A need also exists for a system and method that reduces the possibility of contaminants being dispersed over and within a surgical site.